Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Banana Bread with Almonds

Bought some bananas the other day and now that it is ripe, I need to bake something with bananas again. So I bake the common quick bread recipe - Banana Bread.

Recipe calls for walnuts or pecans, which I dont have. I only have almonds, so I chopped them up corasely and toasted them in the oven and threw them inside my batter.
Shu-Min is sure to complain later as she dislikes nuts in her food! hehe


The batter



Straight from the oven


Unpeeling the parchment paper to reveal moist crust at the sides



Full of chopped toasted almonds and bananas

Actually I think a perfectly baked bread should not have burst top crust. I tried googling and they said that maybe the oven temperature while baking is too hot.
But then my Hesstar oven a bit 'cacat' coz the temperature indicator is incorrect.

Never mind. As long as my bread turns out tasting good. I am not selling it anyway.

Monday, April 27, 2009

New additions to the group

Let's welcome Michael & Wai Min's baby girl - Cheok Yi Jie who is 7 mths old.



Yi Jie with mummy


Yi Jie with uncle Peter...who is learning how to be a daddy :)

Oh ya...she likes guys only. Tee hee....


Let's also welcome Daniel & Ee Xion's baby boy - Marcus Chew Jia Shing who is 4 mths++

look at his chubby cheeks!


Marcus with mummy

Met up with the whole group yesterday at Daniel's house. Was so glad to see all of them. It had been quite some time since we last went out.

Our next gathering will be at Karen Ooi's wedding in 2 weeks' time :D

Penang Hill

This is my 3rd time to Penang hill in recent years - but first time with family.
(Peter couldn't make it because he had to lecture from 9am-5pm in KDU....sigh)

Anyway, it was a good thing it didn't rain on Saturday when it was raining everyday starting evening comes.


My beloved sexy sis Shu-Min & the bloated me!


Min, Mum & Ah Yee

As usual, nothing much to see in Penang Hill (heard that the Canopy Walk is closed for maintenance) except for dine-in at David Brown's Restaurant.



The famous David Brown's Restaurant garden.

7 of us (I am missing 'coz I was the photographer) enjoying the cool breeze while waiting for our food.


7 of us shared 4 mains. The portions are big!
(l to r: Chicken Ala King, Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Roast Lamb Shank, Chicken Maryland)


Ah Yee & I


I like this table!


The interior of the restaurant is nicely decorated as well.
Erm..this is a fake fireplace.

I like the food there. The lamb was superb and I also like the chicken & mushroom pie. Both are a must-try!

Ooohh..the food at David Brown's is expensive. The 4 mains cost us RM200++. Ice-water are free though. And they even provide you with mosquito coils which are free too! :P

I guess you are paying for the environment as well as the service!

34 weeks

Little Angel

Little Angel is now the size of an average cantaloupe.

His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once she's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.

This is also the week that his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination - his scrotum.

Those tiny fingernails of his have probably reached the tip of his fingers by this week (make a mental note to add baby nail clippers in my shopping list!)


Little Angel's lungs should be well developed now.

His layers of fat are also filling out. He will need that to regulate his body temperature when he is born.

Photo & info taken from: Baby Center


Mummy-to-be

I am feeling rather clumsy. It is getting difficult to sit down on the floor and then get up again. I need support (may it be tables or chairs or Peter) to help me get up now. Long gone since the day I could just get up in a snap!

I've also developed some ugly rashes-like thingy on my neckline. Small dots of red bumps with a little white head (looks like small pimples). Luckily it is not itchy nor is it painful.
Dr. Sally Ong also didnt quite know what it is. She gave me some calamine lotion with some medication injected inside for me to sooth those rashes-like thingy.

It is ugly to have these - especially when most of my top are low-neck tops. Eeek!!!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Icky Pregnancy Side Effects

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing - only if these side effects are non-existence!

1. Vaginal Discharge
I've spent a fortune on Carefree Panty Liner because there is a lot more discharge than before I am pregnant, thanks to the increased estrogen production and greater blood flow to the vaginal area.

2. Constipation
Thanks to the iron supplement pills I am taking, and also thanks to the hormone progesterone, which slows the movement of food through my digestive tract, I am having constipation.
And the problem may be compounded later in pregnancy by the pressure of my growing uterus on my rectum.
Arghhhh..........

3. Excessive salivation
I feel myself waking up in the middle of the night to wipe off my saliva that drools down while sleeping. Haha...icky I know!

4. Hemmorhoid / Piles
This is the one thing I hate most. I am now increasing my fibre intake and I dont take story books to the toilet now. Toilet business is now refrained to 5 mins.

5. Yeast Infections
During pregnancy, the higher level of estrogen makes it easier for yeast to grow. Therefore, I drink my daily dosage of at least one Yakult a day (damn expensive!)

I guess I have to live with these. What else can I do? ;)

Friday, April 24, 2009

I miss Melbourne!

Ndru pestered me quite some time ago to post about my last year of uni in Melbourne. Actually, i only went there for 10 mths in year 2003. Before I went there, 10 mths seemed so long, especially when I knew I had to be separated from Peter for 10 whole miserable mths. However, those 10 mths turned out to be one of the best 10 mths I've ever experienced in my life...and I miss Melbourne life now...
And also after seeing Yit Fung blogging about Melbourne, I miss it even more.

Below is the hse Ndru, Ee Lyn, Adrian & I shared.

2/53 McIntyre Street,
Burwood VIC 3125,
Melbourne, Australia.

This is the room Adrian & I shared. Yes, my room-mate was a guy! ;P


2 single beds with a large table and a built-in wardrobe (not seen in the pic)


My gawd...i look so young n stupid. Haha. And holding my 'sweet-smelling' rabbit pillow.

We are a weird kind (actually, my housemates are weird...not me!). We icq-ed each other from our respective rooms. We use our free calls from our mobile to call each other to come down for dinner...we don't shout!
Just thinking back about these things make me smile.


Our barely-furnished living room - utilized mostly by Adrian & EeLyn sitting in front of the tv watching tv series.
Ndru & I are not fans of tv series.


The bathroom & toilet that Adrian & I shared.
We always argued about 'seat up' and 'seat down'. Hahaha


The staircase leading to our rooms upstairs. Ndru's room is downstairs though.


Our laundry area with our life-saving washing machine.


Our backyard aka garden. The place where Adrian & Ndru took a puff at times.
We only cut the grass when they were unbearably long and untidy.

Actually I have many, many more pics about the places we went, the funny things we did, all the outings and gatherings, etc.

'Til the next Melb '03 post.......

Thursday, April 23, 2009

When 2 Become 1

I've decided to merge my pregnancy: Little Angel blog into this main blog of mine.

This is because nowadays I feel that I have more and more stuff to write concerning my pregnancy and my baby. So I don't want to just update my pregnancy blog and ignore my main blog....so merging them into 1 is the only solution! :)

But I still need to make some minor alterations.
- I need to reorganize my side panels.
- I need to reorganize the categories of the Topics I Blogged About
- etc etc etc

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Chocolate Banana Bread

Received some super-riped bananas from Chun Huey and had no choice but to bake some banana recipes.

Tired of the usual banana muffins (I like baking new stuff!), so I browsed the net to find other recipes calling for bananas. Saw this recipe 'Chocolate Banana Bread' and couldn't resist trying it out.

After all, this recipe consists of 2 of my favourite ingredients - Bananas and Chocolate!

It turned out to be a 'lil burnt on the top crust (because it is difficult to see when dark-coloured batter is fully baked) - my mistake of course.

Anyway, the final product of my Chocolate Banana Bread looks a little ugly - but the taste is heavenly. Mum & Min says it tasted SUPER!


Wet & Dry Bowls


Adding in toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts and chocolate chips


The thick and chunky batter


Oops...slightly over-burnt top crust


After peeling off the parchment paper to reveal the moist texture


Yummy chocolate banana bread

I give myself 9.5 out of 10 marks (this is because I am rating myself!). Hahaha....i love this recipe. I think I'm gonna bake this a 2nd time...coz not enough to go around!

My Pregnancy & Baby Care Bibles

These are the 2 books I can't live without.

What To Expect: WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING and What To Expect: THE FIRST YEAR


1. What To Expect: WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING - 4th Edition by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel - RM55.90 from Borders

- Although this book is an American book, it is still very useful.
- It is like having a personal gynae answering all your stupid questions mingling with your mind.
- A very organized book with easy-to-read format.


2. What To Expect: THE FIRST YEAR by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway - RM44.00 from MPH

- Also have the same organized with easy-to-read format.
- Up-to-Date information on baby care, in-depth coverage on various issues such as health checks, vaccines, allergies, etc.


These are the only 2 books I bought (besides some magazines). It is nice to be able to flip through this and I always learn something new.

These 2 books not only help me understand more, but it also gives down-to-earth and practical advice and also give me confidence on what I am doing is right!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Pregnancy Update on the mother-to-be..ME!

Belly
Small for 32 weeks, or so I've been told. However, my gynae said my baby is bigger by a week. So ahhh....baby is big, mummy is small.

Appetite
My appetite is good. I eat very frequently nowadays. I take breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. But all in small portions.

Cravings
I dont have any (darlin, u better thank your lucky stars!) except for my normal Chocolate cravings which I have since I know how to munch when I was 2 years old!
I still love Kit Kats, Hersheys, Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, M&Ms....

Clothes
I don't have many to choose from. I only bought a low-hip long jeans and a 3/4 slacks as bottoms, and 2 tops and a dress from ModernMum. Other than that, I live on borrowed clothes from my family...mostly from my mum ;)

Skin
My complexion is OK. No large amount of pimples or acne breakouts YET (touch wood!). But I have those uneven skin tone pigmentation on some parts of my body...namely neck, breasts, and belly.

General Wellbeing
I feel tired more frequently. Night time sleep is often interrupted by having to go pee - more than 3 times every night.

Although people commented that my belly is small, it is still way bigger than it used to be. So it is rather difficult to find a good position to sleep. Lying on my back is a definite no-no. It makes me cannot breathe. I need to lie on my side with my body pillow in between my legs.

Mood
I feel happy almost all the time knowing the Little Angel is growing healthily inside my womb. I even feel happy when he kicks me hard! Many people comment that I have that 'glowy' look on my face, is it true? :D

Hubby
He is such a dear so far. He accompanies me to every pregnancy checkup and also attended all 3 ante-natal classes. He refuses to let me climb up the stepladder to retrieve things and always help me to carry all the heavy stuff.

He even created a profile in his hp called 'VIP' which only I can call in and not others. This is really important as usually he used to switch his hp to Silent mode when he is with his clients. So now with this VIP mode, I get to reach him in case of emergency.

In short, I don't know what I'll do without him! :)

Baby 'R' Us is On Sale!!!

Baby 'R' Us is On Sale! So I flipped through the catalogue and thanks to my friend, I managed to get below items for Little Angel.

The First Years: Close and Secure Sleeper
RM169.90 save RM40.00 > RM129.90



The First Years: Sure Comfort Newborn-to-Toddler Tub
RM119.90 save RM40.00 > RM79.90


Nowadays I got all-hyped at viewing infant/baby stuff online - looking at those branded and quality baby stuff online.
Brands like Medela, MAM, Nuk, Lamaze, Fisher-Price, The First Years, Safety First, Bumble Bee suddenly sounds so familiar to me.

Tell me about all these brands 6 months ago and I will look at you with my blur face - absolute would have no idea what you are talking about!
Now I can sit down happily and talk about all these stuff for hours...tee hee!

Friday, April 17, 2009

32 weeks

Went to the gynae yesterday. Little Angel is now 2.1kg. Want to know roughly how big is he now?
Well, he is about the size of a large turnip and he is taking up a lot of space in my uterus.


He now has toenails, fingernails and I can even see his hairs sprouting out on top of his head in the ultrasound image Dr. Eric showed me.


I am also experiencing lower-back pain nowadays...especially so when I retire to bed every night. The whole day of activities finally unwinds and leave me kind of breathless and tired at night. Even so when I spend the whole day shopping with my mum. Hehe.

Anyway, Dr. Eric asked me to walk more. So no harm doing more shopping, right?

Photo taken from: Baby Center

Stuff I Wanna Eat When My Pregnancy Is Over


I can't believe I've abstained from eating one of my favourite food since I know I am pregnant.
SALMON SALMON SALMON....
Those fat, delicious, juicy looking salmon always makes me drool everytime I dine in any Japanese Restaurant.
I think I will eat a whole kg of raw salmon the moment I'm allowed to eat them!



Another thing is I want to eat is toast dipped into half-boiled eggs with a tad of soya sauce. It is not that I really love eating them. But when you are not supposed to eat them, you always think of them during breakfast time...:P


I'm actually not a real fan of Tiramisu. But ever since I got pregnant, I always hear people saying 'Bella Italia serves the best Tiramisu in Penang'! 'Tiramisu is famous at Annabelle's Place'! Arrghh...I just so wanna try them!

I am not supposed to eat all the above-mentioned food because raw or uncooked food has the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

Anyway, just thinking about them makes me drool......

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Wish List - Gifts

I know I asked for Angpows. If you all give me angpows, below are the items I would buy.....


The First Years: Infant Car Seat Cappucino (with Base)
MYR 699.00 499.00


The First Years: Magna Light Stoller Cappucino
MYR 699.00 399.00
(these 2 items can be converted into Magna Light Travel System)



Kiddopotamus: Cradler Adjustable Head Support
MYR 69.00 62.10


Munchkin: Voice Activated Crib Light
MYR 99.90 89.91



Bumbo Baby Sitter
MYR 199.90 RM139.90


Pigeon Rapid Steam Sterilizer


Medela: Pump & Save Breastmilk Bags, box of 20
MYR 69.00 62.10



Medela: Breastmilk Storage Bottles (3 pcs Polypropylene Storage Bottles)
MYR 69.00


So many things I want and so little money I have. Arigato in advance.

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